Soft Drink
by Simeon The Conqueror
Summary: Naruto, after being accused of killing the Hokage is forced to run and hide to keep his life. He grows insane in the hiding spot, up until two people find him, the Akatsuki.
1. Story So Far

Soft Drink

A Naruto Fan Fiction

By Matt Sterling

"Do not tempt the untemptable. In the end, all the pain and anger and destruction of the temptation will only lead back to you."

Deep in the forests, amoung the animals and amoung the peace, the village of Konoha sat. Normally in this village that rang out piece just by looking at it, military power was ensued. Although, this power was not shown in front of the normal villagers, even though they had the very simple option of getting the information.

So, because of this simple, unwritten understanding, most of the village was peaceful. And in this peaceful village there was ninja, ninja created and used to protect the peace. Sometimes stopping the peace to ensure future peace was even used. These ninja were taught from adolecense to fight for their village, and they were almost brainwashed into the fact that their village was supreme. Loyality was not an uncommon thing, and most ninja would give their lives for the village.

Amoung these was Uzumaki Naruto. His life was a normal one, up until he graduated from the acadamy. Since then, he has had a full life some ninja only dream about. It was up until he turned fifteen that he was initially contacted by the Akatsuki Organisation.

Before this time, Naruto would have said that it was out of the question. That there was absoultely no way that he could join something so evil, so corrupt. But there was something that happened between the first time they meeted him and the time they proposed the question to him.

Naruto had killed the Hokage.

Although, there was something else that happened. It was not him that killed the Hokage, Tsuande. Physically he had, but mentally, it was not him. A jutsu, unlike any other, it was not a copy jutsu, as many would reconize it not to be him. The person was in his head. Naruto had no knowledge of who it was, but he was caught in the act, and subconsiously, he came back just after the moment he laid his kunai into the unaware Hokage.

The situation had been almost, just right. Naruto did indeed kill the guards that were in her doorway, and he did indeed kill the Hokage. Just after a class S mission, the ninjas were in short supply, and the Hokage herself even had to go on one, she had been wounded. After giving herself the proper treatment, it was known that she would be completly knocked out for one night. That night.

Security around the perimiter of the village was heavily increased and there was more ninja lurking the night than in the day. The only place they didn't secure was her room. Maybe it was cockiness and maybe it was ego, but they thought that if anyone wasn't caught in the outside permiter and the inside perimeter, then they hadn't made it through. No matter what, no one was going to make it to her doorway, and even then, a signal would be called.

Instantly a guard would move out of position, he had been carefully placed so that he could get to her bedroom in a matter of seconds. Though he did not arrive. He was already dead. The second set of guards came in just as Naruto was finishing the job. Blood covered his face and his eyes were glowing with hatred.

But then, they changed. Naruto flipped around and noticed the situation. It was over.

But, he escaped. It was in the same manner he had done the assassination. Someone took over his mind, and skillfully, he escaped, killing four ninja on his way out and almost killing another.

It has been close to a year since that event occured, Naruto is much more aged and heavy bags weigh under his eyes. Sleep is never a pleasure for him anymore. He only sleeps once a week. For that one year he has been on the run and has killed over a hundred hunter nin from almost all of the countries.

"Are you sure this is it?" said a feminine voice.

"Almost certain," said a masculine.

"Let's go up then. . ." The two figures entered a cave, and as they walked forward into it, they noticed stairs. "Up, up we go." she said, twirling her finger around. The stairs continued up, for almost ten minutes, it was located in a mountain so it was logical. Soon the stairs started to become more fine, well cut, and more perfect.

"What's this?" said the man, the stairs ended. Standing at the end of them was the cave wall. "Huh? I don't get it. . ." He turned to his left to inspect a part of the wall when suddenly feet flew from the spot he was looking at. Through the shadows they kicked him over the edge.

"Uchicha!" shouted the woman, Uchicha, the man, flew down almost three stories before regaining his composure. In midair, he caught on to one of the stairs, and slowly started to pull himself up. The figure that had kicked him looked straight at the woman. "You. . ." she said, keeping the fright in her voice away. "Are you. . .Uzumaki Naruto?"

The figure stood her height, although he was slumping over. His blonde hair was dirty, and his eyes were as wide as he could make them, and his eye itself was very large. Bags under his eyes were very, very, thick and as dark as they could be. "Who are you?"

"I am Hoyo Ikue," she looked over the edge again, looking for Uchicha. Herself, she was tall, for a woman, and had blonde, almost styled hair. She wore a cloak just like the one Uchicha was wearing, it was khaki in color and had red fining. It covered their entire bodies.

"Who did I just kill?"

"You didn't kill him."

"Who is it."

"Uchicha Itachi." Naruto instantly backed into the corner agian. "Wait! We aren't here to kill you! If we were, don't you think we would have attacked by now?"

"I'm not sure, many people come here. . .to kill me. . .but I didn't do it. . ."

"We aren't one of those people."

"She's right," said Itachi, finally getting a chance to catch his breath. "I want to tell you why we are here, but I need you outside of this place first."

"No, this is my cave!" shouted Naruto. "I did this, you know, since it began, the whole thing. It keeps me up. It used to be just a small cave in a big mountain but now look at it!" he started to laugh. "I wasn't very good at it in the beginning, and soon my kunai dulled down on me, but then they started to send people, so I got a replenish in kunai's. Now I just get them from a girl in the village next door."

"What does she do?"  
"She leaves them at the entrance. There's about fourty down there now, since they dull up after a month, and she sends one every week. Do you have anything to drink or eat?"

"I have a soft drink we bought over at the village you were talking about," said Hoyo. She handed it to him and he opened it as quickly as he could.

"Yes," he laughed. "These are the best. I only drink these. Remember that."

'He's obviously insane,' thought Itachi. 'He speaks of needless and pointless things. . .can we get him. . .?'

"Naruto, I need to get to the point. Since you killed the Hokage of Konoha, the country has been in an uproar and a civil war has occured. That country is a no mans land. And allies of what they used to be are still bent on killing you. So, because of this we've decided, since you have that fox inside of you, that we do not need to kill you. The Akatsuki I mean."

"So. . .?" Naruto was sitting on the top step, while they stood. He took the last big gulp of the soft drink before dropping it into the hole that would lead to the bottom.

"We wondered if you, yourself, could join the Akatsuki." Naruto staired at them, awestruck by this.

"It would mean almost perfect safety from anyone, and plus, you only have to do jobs for us at the maximum of one a month. These are not mass murder jobs like you are probably thinking, just a little something to keep our reputation up in the country you are assigned."

"And it is probably. . ." Naruto started.

"Konoha."

"


	2. Machi

(Authors note)

Thanks for letting me know it's not Uchicha, I feel like an idiot. :P Another thing is, I've been typing it like that for ages, and I've never been corrected, which worries me. Again, thank you. Now with Soft Drink. :D

Soft Drink

Chapter Two

"What do you say?" said Itachi.

"Naruto says. . ." he looked up at them, then at his work around him. "I will leave tomorrow for wherever you may take me. If you wish to kill me, go ahead, I'm already dead, " said Naruto.

"We aren't going to kill you, we are trying to get your sanity back."

"I am sane!" he said, laughing. They said nothing, just stared at him. "Really. What?"

"Nothing, okay, well. . .if we are ever going to get anywhere we have to go back down," said Hoyo. Naruto looked down the small, three foot wide hole that lead to the bottom, almost five hundred feet down. "And, we're probably gonna have to clean you up. But. . .from the looks of him. . ."

"Let's get down first, Hoya," said Itachi as he started walking down the stairs. Naruto, too, got up and he followed the two down the stairs, and almost ten minutes later they reached their destination. In a walking distance, they had literally walked six feet. As they walked to the outside, Itachi and Hoya noticed the kunai's that they had missed on the way in.

Also sitting there at the doorway was a soft drink. Naruto had noticed it immediatly, and popped it open immediatly. It was empty a couple seconds later. "Alright, well, here's your items," she handed Naruto a pack. He put it on and looked around. "What?"

Silence. He just kept his head flying around him. "Alright. Nothing."

"What are you talking about?"  
"Them." He pointed up. "Hunter-nin's. They are everywhere. . .around this cave, most of the time anyways. They agreed not to kill the girl next door after I killed a couple of them at night, but they are still dangerous."

"Don't they have to go home?"

"No. They are of no country, and they are probably criminals. But," he laughed, looking straight at Itachi. "I bet they ran off when they saw you, and maybe you too Hoya,"

'What does he mean?' thought Itachi. 'I didn't think that people would flee just from the sight of me. . .but. . .the power is pretty amazing, itself.' Itachi almost gave a half laugh, but he barely moved, trying to keep it in.

"Off we go!" said Naruto as he pointed forward and started to walk away. Hoya and Itachi stood where they were. After about half a minute, Naruto turned around. "What?" he shouted.

"It's that way," shouted Hoya, pointing to his right.

So, Naruto followed Hoya and Itachi. He had not yet accepted being apart of Akatsuki, and thoughts were always in his head about it. At night, he did not sleep.

Hoya slowly worked herself up from sleep, and as she did she noticed Naruto sitting by the campfire. "You already set it up? The campfire I mean."

"Yes," said Naruto, moving some of the logs around with a stick of his own. Everytime one came crashing down to the ground, or moved, ashes and other debre flew into the air, and it facsinated him. His eyes shot from each one, and he looked as if he was studying each one individually.

Morning was approaching and soon they would set off to the neighboring village of Machi. Hoya kicked Itachi slightly and then half sighed and half yawned as he started to move himself. Naruto continued hiself on the fire as it seemed almost unfalliable to not give him enjoyment. It wasn't so much enjoyment, but more of a facsination. "Alright, of to Machi," said Itachi almost ten minutes later as he spilled water onto the fire.

Instantly Naruto's eyes flew up at him. "What?"

"Machi. The neighbor."

"Oh. Oh. Where the girl next door lives, right?"

"Yes." Naruto stood up and put his pack on. "Aren't you tired?"

"No, Soft Drink, I had ealier. . .keeps me up. I think it's more of the fact that I think my body stays up after I drink one, cause I'm damn well sure I've built up a toleration. But, can't think like that." He smiled.

"Why not?"

"Cause then it won't work anymore," said Hoya, finally understanding his logic. "Alright, now, let's go." They started off. It was about two hours until they reached the village. Through the forest that almost connected the two, the cave and the village, almost nothing happened. It was uneventful, and Naruto didn't do anything suspicious, as either did Itachi or Hoya.

When they arrived, they noticed a landmark in front of the city. It was beside the city sign, which read, "MACHI," under it said, "POPULATION: 10,000." The landmark was a single ninja, crouched over and holding his own knees, almost in a parinoma state. Naruto instantly reconized it.

"That's me," he said, pointing to it. "I remember that. . .it was when I 'saved' the village, I think. I don't know. But a little time after that the girl started to visit me, you know."

"You saved this village, Naruto?" said Itachi. "How?"

"The hunter-nin had followed me, so it was, initially, my fault. But, they couldn't find me, so they started killing, raping the villagers. These weren't Leaf ninja, so don't think that. They were the kind like the ones at my cave. I killed them all. That was what i looked like at the end of the killing. On the other side of the town, though, you can see me smiling, blood covering me, which is what I did after I noticed they were staring."

"You are truly a wonderful man," said Itachi. "But, are you sure you can loose it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to be the bad guy for the Akatsuki. In return, you will have a place to sleep, eat, and constant support and safety. I told you this already, but I don't think you understood it."

"I did it out of the fact that they were hunter-nin, following me. Afterwards, only afterwards, did I take this place as my home. Plus, that was a year ago, I didn't even know that they put this up until last week, when I came out to get bread. I only come out sometimes, though, sometimes only. Food isn't a burden for me."

"How isn't it?" said Itachi.

"The hunter nin's provide just as much food as I need." A ghastly look came on his face and he started laughing. "Ok, let's go. I need to find that girl."

"What is so important about her?"

"I want her to go with me."

"I don't think you can do that."

"Why not!?" Instantly another emotion flew onto his face.

"We need to keep our location somewhat of a secret. If you go and get her, that will be putting our location on another shoulder, something we do not want."

"Blindfold her. I don't care, I want her to come with."

"Find her, by then I'll have figured out my decision."


	3. Takuko

Soft Drink

Chapter Three

"My feelings going on a south bound train, tell me how, I still feel the same."

"Alright!" shouted Naruto as he looked around, dumbfounded. "Uh. . .where do I start. . .Oh! Oh! Hoya! Where did you buy that soft drink at?"

"You want another one?" she said, starting to take her back pack off. He quickly said yes, but then he continued on as she gave him the soft drink. He gulped it down, smiling.

"Alright, now, seriously, where did you buy it?" Hoya came to the conclusion that Naruto had already long understood, and Itachi, too, started to understand.

"Follow me," said Itachi as he walked past Naruto. His voice wasn't as natural as it was before, almost annoyed.

'Yes,' Naruto seemed happy as he thought. 'The bastard doesn't like me, this is awesome. I don't know, maybe it is because he wants to get out of here, I mean after my little hunter-nin-hero story thing I'd want to leave too. Also, I actively have hunter-nin following me so often that it is almost uneasy, so I don' t blame him for it. But, he tried to kill me once, and he gets what he gets.' As he thought he followed Itachi and Hoya through the town.

Hoya eyed his uneasy expresssion. "Naruto?" she said.

"What?" he said, snapping out of his phase. "Oh, sorry, something. . .came. . .and. . .went. . ." he said. She gave him a confused look and then said an oh.

"Here it is," she said. "But. . .there's not girl here." The location where she had bought the soft drink was an empty stand. It was much like a Ramen Bar, and it probably was. "Hello?"

"Hello?" echoed Naruto. He started to walk inside, Hoya put her hand up to stop him, but she hesitated and Naruto went in. Through the small kitchen, which composed of one stove and several boxes, one of which was open. Inside was packs and packs of Ramen. Naruto stopped, staring at the packs.

"What is it?" said Itachi. He looked at the Ramen, which he found from Naruto's sight of vision, and then started to piece the puzzle together. "Oh. . ."

"What is it?" said Hoya.

"He likes. . .Ramen. It reminds him of the Leaf. . ."

"Konoha." Naruto staired at it for a long time until he started to walk off. He went farther into the kitchen, and the small building suddenly seemed huge. It was connected to a household.

"Hello?" shouted Naruto. "Is anyone here?" Suddenly, then, footsteps were heard coming from the top level. A girl, the girl, walked down stairs to greet Naruto.

"Why are you here? Food I have some in the front you didn't have to come back here," she had long, red hair. It went halfway down her back until it stopped, and it parted on both sides of her face running back behind her ears.

"You seem. . .nervious? Something happening?" said Hoya.

"No, no, not at all," her voice initiated everything that Hoya had just said.

"I get it," said Itachi. "She doesn't do it out of love for you Naruto, like you may be thinking. She's doing it because of your accomplishments. You saved her village, didn't he?"

"Yes. . .and. . .he. . .saved my life. And he killed the men that killed my parents. I'd. . .do anything for him. I was just worried. . .not because of him. I do love him. I was worried because of. . ." she paused, then looked back up at Itachi. "You."

A long silence occured. It took almost five minutes. Then, suddenly Naruto fell back, collapsing on the stairs.

"He's up!" said Hoya. "Wow you got up, I thought you had died for a second."

"What happened?" he said as he yawned. Looking around him he noticed the wilderness and he almost panicked. "Where's the girl?!" he shouted. She sat on the other side of the fire, Itachi was to the right of her, and Hoya to the left. "She. . .came?"

"We convinced her to. She said she'd do anything for her and I know that it would do you right so I persuaded her to come along with us."

"She knows where we are going?"

"Yes."

"Everything that goes with it?"

"Yes."

". . .ok. . .what is your name?" She looked a little confused, and scared, but she talked.

"Etsu Takuko. . ." she said. She wore a normal villager outfit, nothing really special was on it.

"You seem scared. . .what's wrong?" said Hoya. A second after she finished she half laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm an idiot, anyone in your situation would be completly terrified." Naruto smiled at this remark and then yawned.

"Let's go to sleep," he said.

"You just slept for like three and a half hours, we had to carry you on a cart most of the way." Naruto looked behind him, a cart, almost like a book shelf on wheels, it was just long enough for him to fit on. There was small pieces of wood on the tops of each side to make sure that whatever was on it never fell off.

"I know, but I'm feeling a little bit more confortable. . .I can probably sleep. . ."

"Comfortable? With us?" said Itachi. There was a short bit of silence and Hoya looked over at Itachi, almost about to say something. She stopped, and looked back at Naruto.

"Not anymore."

The next day they walked through the forest, and it went pretty quiet, Itachi's remark had silenced the group. The only one without a pack was the Takuko, as Hoya and Itachi never expected her to come along. Everything went along as planned, or almost as planned.

"Stop," said Itachi, throwing his hands back. He slowly moved one of his hands to his pocket, pulling out a kunai. "Alright. . ." Naruto looked around, then laughed. Itachi then threw the kunai through the air in front of him, and almost out of the sky a ninja fell down, the kunai slitting his throat. The limp body flew into Itachi, and he pushed it off, angered at the man. "He was ambushing us, so watch out, Hunter-nin are still following."

"I already knew that," said Naruto, smiling.

'What?!' thought Itachi. "Why didn't you tell me!?" he said.

"Because, I wanted to see what you could do against them, and plus I guess I was kind of hoping they'd pick you off anyways."

"You still do not. . ."  
"Forgive you," he finished the sentence. "Until the day I die, I will try to kill you for what you did."

". . .it was not me."

"What are you two talking about?" said Hoya, pushing herself into the conversation.

"He thinks I was the one."

"The one what?"

"The one who forced me to kill Tsuande, the Hokage," said Naruto. "It's a well known story, so I can't pull the whole 'how did you know' story. . .but. . .I know it was you. Somehow and someway you did it, or someone of the Akatsuki, someone in this organization did this to me and I will never forgive them or the organization."

"Then why are you following us?" said Hoya. Naruto started laughing.

"Protection."

"Uhm. . ." said Takuko. Everyone flipped around instantly. "When are we going to be there? Will I be able to go back to my village?"

"After you enter the Akatsuki you will not, I repeat. . .will not be able to be apart of any other country or village or city or anything else. You Akatsuki now. Well," said Itachi, "not now, when you get there and we initiate you."

"It's a club?"

"You can say that." Naruto sighed and continued walking. Everyone, hesitantly followed him, Hoya jumping out in front to lead the way.

"So," said Takuko after a long silence, she was talking to Naruto. Some part of the day had gone by and it was almost three. "Am I going to be your wife now?"

"What? No, not if you don't want to be. I just want to take you along to thank you for everything you've done. You can go home whenever you want, although when you get there, like Itachi said, it's it," said Naruto.

"I've been getting second thoughts about going with you. I thank you for saving my village. . .but how can I go back now? We're miles away from my home. . ."

"I can't take you back."

". . .then I'm . . ." she looked back. She stopped, staring at the small, dirt path behind her and the one she walked on. "Not turning back ever again." She smiled at Naruto and he smiled back. "Maybe we can create a relationship."

"Maybe." his head flipped to the right and he ducked quickly. Takuko panicked and copied him.

"What is it?!" shouted Itachi.

Naruto stood up, looking around. He started laughing. "Oh my god. . ." he laughed again. "I think. . .it was nothing."

"Good, because we are here."


	4. The Akatsuki

Soft Drink

Chapter Four

"The Akatsuki"

Naruto looked in front of him, nothing was there, he looked back down at Itachi, who smiled. "Is this. . .a trick?" said Naruto. Itachi slightly laughed, as did Hoya. It seemed like they loved doing this.

"No. But, it's a severe security issue. This really is the Akatsuki, but it is all protected by an immense jutsu. It will only open to those who it knows and those who it trusts. It is very difficult for it to open for you if you do not belong in the organization." Suddenly a giant, loud sound occured, it was almost machine like. The landscape in front of them, which had been a green bush, along with other flora around it, opened up.

"This is. . .it?"

"No."

"What?"

"This is the first step. We have about ten more doors to go through. But. . ." he smiled. "I already know how to do all this. You two are going to have to do it alone. I will join you when you get inside."

"What's the point of this?" They were now inside a completly white room. All around them was nothing but white, a white, endless space.

"It will ensure that the jutsu will trust you and know you and you can go through it much more easily. Because of this, I am not lying. Doing this does put your life on the line."

"My. . .life?"

"But I know you don't care about such needless things around now, but her." Takuko started to sweat, and she looked at Naruto, who put his hand out for her to join him. She looked back at Itachi, and she knew she had to make her decision.

'Death. . .or. . .freedom. . .which means a long ways away from home. . .' she thought. 'Which probably means death.' Almost half a minute went by, and Naruto's hand didn't even twich. 'Death. . .freedom. . .' She put her hand up, and Takuko put it in Naruto's. "I trust. . .you. . .somehow I feel it. . ." she said.

Naruto smiled and Itachi opened the second door. The floor opened up, and a ladder led to the third door. "Goodbye Itachi, see you soon. Hoya."

She nodded to him and said her goodbyes and Itachi did the same. Takuko went down first, and second was Naruto. As he went down he didn't move his eyes from Itachi. "See you there, Naruto." The floor closed in above his head. At the bottom, it was almost a sewer. Wet, damp, and cold.

"Which way?" said Takuko. They were in a tunnel, and there was no end in sight for either way.

"This is probably a tunnel. . ." said Naruto. "So. . .splitting up is really bad, but we cannot just go one way. . ."

"Yeah. . .it will probably just be best if we both go one way, and just. . .trust that's the way."

"Yeah. Or we can probably try to go back the other way. Yeah that works. Wait. . .," Naruto smiled. "Haha! I found it! I did it! I did it!"

"What is it?" said Takuko.

"Haha! The light! Reflection! In the water! It comes from this direction. See, over there, it's a little bit darker, which means that this is the way out."

"You sure?"

"Positive!"

He started walking to the right and Takuko followed him. They navigated, through the sewers, their only light source was the reflections of which Naruto spoke of. Slowly the light got brighter and brighter, and almost ten minutes after they made their way through the almost pitch black sewers, it was completly blinding, the light.

"Here it is!" shouted Takuko. She continued to walk until she suddenly fell down, into the light it seemed. Naruto jumped for her, barely catching her shirt, and as the light was passed through and he could see what was in front of him he gasped. A giant, cave-like and jungle-like room was at the end of this tunnel, and he was almost a hundred feet above it.

The tunnel, wet from the water, was no host for him, so he slid out, still holding Takuko's shirt. They fell down to a lake below, a giant splash as they went in. As Naruto swam for the surface he saw Takuko's body already at the surface. At first he was glad that she was up but then he noticed something that struck him to the bone.

She was staring down at him. Takuko was laying on her stomach in the water, her eyes were wide open as was her mouth. Naruto flew out of the water, flipping his face around to get as much excess water off as he could. Naruto swam towards her as quickly as he could, and when he got there seconds later he almost instinctively checked her breath.

"Takuko! Takuko! Takuko! Takuko!" he repeated her name over and over again. He didn't feel a small movement in the air above her mouth, next he checked her neck. Nothing. Her wrist. Nothing. Naruto knew what this meant. . .she was dead. 'How!?' he thought. "How!?" he then shouted. "How the fuck did she die!?"

Tears ran down his face as he panted. 'Was it the fall? No. . .not the fall. . .? It can't be that. . .cause I'm ok. . .but. . .life threating!? Oh! Yeah! But, that doesn't explain anything. . .'

"Not the fall. . .Maybe. . ." Suddenly he remembered the scene where he held onto her shirt. "No. No." He closed his eyes as tight as he could and lost his concentration. He then went underwater and quickly came back up, spitting out the water in his mouth. Naruto then, with nothing else to do, grabbed onto Takuko's collar, dragging her to land.

There he started to dig in the ground, with his bare hands. He dug and dug and dug as long as he could. Since the room was painted as a day sky, he didn't know if it was day or night whenever he finished, but it took a good while. Finally, he got his way out by planting his shoe in the wet dirt and walking up as if it were ice.

When he got to the top he noticed Takuko. She was peaceful, and it was then that he got the depression of the situation. He was not sad, he was not mad, he was just depressed. 'I dragged her out of her peaceful life and killed her. God how could I. . .' He picked her body up and jumped into the pit. There, he laid her down, by now her clothes and hair were dry, and he did her best to make her look nice.

"Ok. . .Ok. . ." he put his foot into the dirt again, where he had got up the first time, and slowly started his way up. The pit was twenty feet deep. When he got to the top, he started to slowly throw the dirt into the hole, as quickly as he could. It took almost as long as it did to dig the hole.

Itachi stared in suprise from a monitor. "How did he?" he said to another man who had been watching them before Itachi had gotten there. "When did he start on it?"

"Five hours ago,"

'No way. . .' thought Itachi. 'How can he be able to dig something like that in five hours!?'

"So. . ." he tried not to show his suprise. "Did it work?"

"Yes."

Naruto patted the dirt, it was as level as the rest of the ground around it. Smiling, he said his final words to Takuko. "I'm sorry Takuko. If I never brought you into it, you would have never died. I will avenge you."

Itachi looked into the monitor with nothing but fear.


	5. Inside

Soft Drink

Chapter Five

"Inside"

Naruto walked through the island and continued on for almost half a mile. When he got to the third door it opened, leaving a long tunnel in front of him. All around it was water, as the tunnel was transparent. Naruto walked through it, confused, yet motivated. Suddenly a large creaking sound was heard, and the tunnel's walls started to crack, though they didn't break.

He started to run towards the end, realizing the situation. When he got to the end he started beating on the door as hard as he could, shouting to a person who wasn't there. "Open the damn door! Come on!" The water started to go above his ankles. "Come on! Damn it!"

Fear turned to parinoia and parinoia turned to panic. Through clenched teeth he started to curse his own fate. The water was at his waist. Finally, he gave up on life.

"Is this what you want? You bastard. Fine! Kill me! Kill me!"

Itachi smiled. "Are you going to kill him?" he asked to the technician.

"Don't ask me, it's the jutsu. He'll either die or survive. If he does live though, it'll be soon. I've never seen it hold out this long, it must be a hard decision."

"It's not like it guesses the goodness in him, it's judging the opposite. Or is it?"

"No, it's not. Don't think that. It won't let him by because of that."

The water hit his chest. His eyes were angry at the fact that he had not been killed yet. Every single angle that he thought of as he shouted his anger strike was blocked. He thought of breaking the tunnel, but he could see no opening outside, as the only lights in the whole open sea was in that tunnel.

So if he did break it he would be without any sort of light. The water continued up and up bringing an ever-present, stining, cold. It had been there for almost three minutes and the room had started to tint a yellow green, as the lights were yellow, green was the color that was showing in the water.

It had gone up to his neck and Naruto was now floating in the water, he continued to kick at the door. Over and over again the metal door was banged and banged upon. His head had hit the top of the tunnel, there was no more running, no more escaping it. The water slowly went over his head, and Naruto took his final breath.

He floated down to the door and looked at it, expecting something he knew was never going to come. The door looked back at him, almost mocking him. In his mind, "Open! Open! Open! Open! Open! Open!" A click was heard and suddenly the doors flew open.

"No way," said Itachi.

"It likes him. The rest of the way will be easy going."

The water sucked him, and he flew out into another room, this one was very small. The doors closed in and the rest of the water that had made its way through flooded Naruto's feet. It then slowly fell though the small holes in the floor, they were about the size of a needle. The room looked very mechanical, the walls were a black steel as was the floor.

Naruto looked around, and the door in front of him, which had the number five painted on it, opened. He walked through, expecting the impossible.

"I don't know how this could have happened. Should we have?" said the technician.

"Yes." Itachi left the room. He walked out through a series of doors, filled with guards at each one. He left the building, passing another set of guards, and started to walk into the town.

The last door. It opened, and a blinding light greeted Naruto, but his face did not move. No expression changed, nothing. He did not feel. Itachi joined him, along with Hoya as he walked outside. Naruto looked around, the Akatsuki was nothing but a small village. "Naruto?" said Hoya. "Where is Takuko?"

"I don't know, where is she, Itachi?" his eye shot over to Itachi. He was ready for the question.

"She died. Naruto killed her on accident."

"What?" said Hoya. Itachi kept walking, not wanting to hold the conversation. "Wait," she caught up with Itachi. Naruto stayed where he was.

"Itachi," Itachi stopped, but did not turn around. "From the very beginning. . ", he said, "I knew why you tried so hard to find me, why you walked for over a week to get to my cave. Why you killed every single one of the Hunter-nin outside of my cave, why you went through all the trouble."

Itachi had not turned around, but his fist were clenched and his hands had moved. They were no longer hanging freely from his body, they were over his kunai holster.

"You brought me here, you made me do the test, you did all of that all of everything. . .to. . ." Itachi turned around. "You brought me here to kill me."

Hoya looked at the two, she had just noticed it, she was in the middle of the two. "What is going on Itachi?" she said, her head moved quickly between the two.

"I don't have a kunai, so I'm not sure if I'm gonna win this fight. You have a library of jutsu in your head, and I've forgotten all of mine. This is kind of a four-hundred-fifty-thousand-to-one, eh? Well that's all good. I'm content to die here. But not without her, everyone knowing that I did not kill Takuko. It was you Itachi. You killed her. I have no idea how, but you killed her."

"I did not bring you here to die. And yes. . .I killed her. . .but I want you to know. . .it was meant for you."

"What?"

"Uzumaki Naruto will die, that is true, but the monster inside of you! The real you! Will live!" he charged Naruto. Naruto's composure, his stance, nothing changed. He was not afraid of dying. Hoya acted as quickly as she could and threw her foot out, tripping Itachi to the dirt below.

"What are you doing!? This is not part of the plan!" she shouted.

"Yes it was you idiot!" shouted Itachi as he stood up. Naruto did not look at him, he kept his stance forwards. "The whole time! Trick him! Get him! Kill him!"

"I was just along for the ride?"

"Yes! God!" he looked behind him and then back at her. "Guards are on their way to have you killed." he said to Naruto.

"No."

"What?"

"They aren't going to kill him." Itachi was thrown a little off guard on the comment.

"What?" Hoya jumped forward, pulling out a kunai, throwing it into Itachi's stomach. She kicked him down and pushed Naruto.

"Come on!"

"You're actually helping me?" said Naruto.

"Yes! Let's go!" she ran up to the door, and it opened. "Come on!" Naruto slowly followed her. "What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry. I'm . . .in a mood for dying."

"Dying?! I'm trying to make you live! Get a living mood dumbass!" Naruto laughed, then stopped.

"Wait, why should I even go with you?" It didn't go well with Hoya. She punched him in the face.

"I just gave up MY life for YOU! Idiot! You will do as I say so that both of us can live." Naruto smiled. "Got it?! I say run! You run!" he shook his head yes.

"Whatever." She ran through the room, it was painted green. The ceiling was painted to be a cloudy day, and an effect in it made it look as if it were bigger and larger than it actually was. Naruto followed close behind her, and he and Hoya ran through the rooms. Soon they had made it to the fourth door.

"Itachi is probably on the seventh door by now, along with whoever I bet he brought with him. . ." said Hoya as she walked up to the door.

"Wait, don't open it! The tunnel is flooded, how are we gonna get through?"

"Idiot." She smiled. "How do you think Itachi and I got through here way before you? There is a shortcut." She put her hand on the circular handle to the door, and started to open it.

"Then why are you opening the door?"

"So I can drown them." She smiled. The door flooded open and Hoya jumped to her left, "This way!" she shouted. She ran over to the metalic wall and kicked the side of it, instantly a part of the wall fell off. "Come on!" Naruto ran through the new door and Hoya followed him.

The new door was a staircase that led about twenty feet up, here they were above the other rooms. A one mile strech was all that stood in their way. "The water should go slowly up the stairs, and it'll never flood this room, it'll flood the other before this one, so we'll be ok. . ." said Naruto.

"Yeah, and Itachi. . .he wont get out anytime soon. We can walk. . ." Naruto sighed, looking at Hoya.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

"Why though?"

"Why what? Help you? I don't know, honestly. . .I do not know what came over me enough to save you. To most of the world, besides that bridge that's name after you, the name Naruto does not exist. If you think it's a house hold name, you are wrong. So there goes that motivation. . .well. . .I guess. . .it was more of a spur of the moment kind of thing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I will pay you back. Although, you choose the way I pay you back. I don't want to do something that will 'pay you back', but you aren't satisfied."

"I get you."

"What's the plan after this?"

"No plan. We run. Your cave is a no, cause they know where it's at. And you still have Hunter-nin after you so that's a negative. A positive is they don't know where you are at the moment. Since all of them are dead at your cave they probably figure you've killed them and got up and left. Always good. Another positive is that the Akatsuki doesn't know where we are going, well either do we, but we can figure it out, they can't. A negative is they are the biggest private 'army' in the world. . .so. . ."

"Yeah."

"So, yeah."

AN: I wanted this chapter to be longer, but there is no where to go without ending it. Hope you like it. Review often.

Oh yes. The Takuko death is not something that just came up and BAM was there. It was planned in the whole entire story, it's purpose is not revealed yet and I can't tell you without spoiling it. Also, it was not a BAM thing in the story either, Itachi planned it. I can't tell you HOW she died, as that will later be revealed. Naruto did think he killed her, but something happened in those rooms as he made his easy way down the test. The whole point of the test is the tunnel door anyways, so the last doors are all just for show. What happened will ALSO be revealed. So yeah. Lots of stuff coming up. Sorry for ranting.


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